Feeling Deceived, Elza Syarief Resigns as Sony Sonjaya's Lawyer: He Swore an Oath but Was Dishonest

Senior lawyer Elza Syarief has chosen to resign as the legal representative of Sony Sonjaya, a suspect in the corruption case involving the free nutritious meal programme (MBG). The decision was made after Elza discovered several facts that made the professional relationship between her and the former Deputy Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) untenable. According to Elza Syarief, Sony Sonjaya initially convinced her that he was not involved in the MBG corruption case. However, subsequent information she received raised doubts about that statement. “Because Mr Sony was not honest and had previously sworn an oath that he was clean. But information from several people, especially Asep, indicates he received money from Asep regularly, so how can he be a Justice Collaborator (JC),” Elza told journalists on Tuesday, 16 June 2026. She stated that this reason was the primary factor in revoking the power of attorney and no longer serving as Sony Sonjaya’s legal team in the case. Beyond the issue of client transparency, Elza admitted to feeling uncomfortable during the legal proceedings. She claimed that certain parties appeared to be trying to limit her access to information, even though a lawyer requires sufficient information to fully understand the case they are handling. This situation further convinced Elza to step down as Sony Sonjaya’s lawyer. “I was uncomfortable, it seemed they wanted me not to be his lawyer for fear their cover would be blown, they felt I was dangerous and I saw they wanted me to withdraw my representation,” she said. She emphasised that the decision to resign was made on her own accord before any possibility of the client revoking her mandate. “Before I was dismissed, I resigned. It’s the same whether I’m dismissed or I resign, the important thing is that I am no longer his lawyer,” she continued. Elza also revealed that throughout her time representing Sony Sonjaya, she never received any honorarium or payment for legal services. “I helped Mr SS (Sony Sonjaya) pro bono, for free. I never received any money, nor did I ask for any. I was sincere in wanting to bring this case fully to light, they said I was tough and very open to the public, that was SS’s own statement,” she said.